Calls for an investigation after police deliberately run over and kill dog on A55

POLICE Commissioner Winston Roddick and animal charities have called for an immediate investigation after officers deliberately ran over a dog running loose on the A55.

The foxhound was running in and out of traffic between the Llanfairfechan roundabout and the Conwy tunnel in the early hours - about 3am - on Monday, February 22.

Officers from the Roads Policing Unit attempted to catch the dog, with one being bitten, before a decision was made to run the dog over at “sufficient speed” - an action described as the only safe option.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;div style=&amp;amp;amp;quot;display:none&amp;amp;amp;quot;&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;section&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;h2&amp;amp;amp;gt;Do you think North Wales Police took the right course of action?&amp;amp;amp;lt;/h2&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/section&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;section&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;h3&amp;amp;amp;gt;Yes - agree, it was the safest thing to do&amp;amp;amp;lt;/h3&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/section&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;section&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;h3&amp;amp;amp;gt;No - disagree. It wasn&amp;amp;amp;#39;t the right thing to do&amp;amp;amp;lt;/h3&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/section&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Chief Inspector Darren Wareing, of the roads policing unit, said that both officers involved have dogs themselves and the decision was not made “lightly”.

He said: “The potential for a serious collision was present throughout, and in the circumstances there was no alternative way that officers could contain the dog and minimise risks to motorists. The only safe option was to run the dog over at sufficient speed to ensure that it would not suffer.”

Mr Roddick, North Wales Police and Crime commissioner, added: “I will be raising the matter with the force and asking questions because it is important to ensure the matter is looked into fully.

"These were highly unusual circumstances and it was a difficult judgement to make.”

A spokesman for RSPCA Cymru said it would contact North Wales Police over the “particularly tragic incident.”

“Surely tazering the animal could have stopped it? It was after all 3am not 3pm. The animal was clearly terrified,” she said.

"If that poor dog had been a human being out of control the police would have found another way of preventing a potential tragedy.

"I believe the police officers couldn't be bothered to save that poor hound so they took the easy option. I'm disgusted and sickened."

Chief Inspector Wareing added: "Fast roads such as the A55 present inherent risks, and to have vehicles including a HGV having to swerve in the dark was deemed unacceptable as the officers witnessed a number of near misses, and were highly concerned about the potential aftermath of a high speed collision."

A statement about the incident posted on the North Wales Police Facebook page has attracted more than 10,000 comments.